Always
by Eirini
Summary: This is an AU story. Tom is in his sixth year and everything is going according to plan when a new girl shows up and changes his whole world.
1. The Beginning

**Lily's POV**

**"GRINDELWALD THREATENING TO INVADE FRANCE."** the Daily Prophet read.

_'No.'_ I thought, _'this can't be happening. This is too soon, what am I going to do?'_

No one noticed my distress and I paid them no heed. I had no friends here, the only friend I ever had was Nick, and he was all the way in London, attending Hogwarts. No one knew that I was the Child of Earth except Grindelwald, Nick, and Madame Maxime.

What was I going to do? I had to move, I knew that. But where could I go? Durmstrang was already under Grindelwald's influence and Beauxbatons was obviously no longer safe. The only other option was to go to Hogwarts. That wasn't an option either. The whole reason Nick and I had agreed to go to different schools was to keep him safe. I couldn't afford to let him get captured by Grindelwald.

But what else could I do? I couldn't go to America; it was much too far away. I just had to write to Nick and ask him what I should do. He always said that even though Mom and Dad were long gone, I always had him.

Always.

* * *

**Nick's POV**

**"GRINDELWALD THREATENING TO INVADE FRANCE."**

I groaned. This was terrible. Lily, my little sister, was in France. We knew Grindelwald would eventually take over France but we didn't think it would be this soon.

Just then the owls arrived. Surprisingly, an owl landed right beside me.

"Who's writing to you?" Abraxas asked.

"I don't know." I replied. No one had ever written to me before. Not even Lily. We had agreed that it would be much too dangerous. That our owls could be intercepted, or worse, traced back to us.

I opened the letter to find that it was from Lily. Utterly perplexed, I began to read:

_Nick,_

_You've probably already seen the news that Grindelwald's threatening to take over France. What am I going to do? I can't go to Durmstrang or America. The only other option is to go to Hogwarts, but that would put you in jeopardy. Should I just wait it out? Perhaps the French Ministry of Magic will be able to fight off Grindelwald's advances._

_All my love,_

_Lily_

I immediately wrote back:

_Lily,_

_Come to Hogwarts. There's no other option. Dumbledore is here, so Grindelwald's not about to attack here. Transfer today. There's no time to waste._

_All my love,_

_Nick_

* * *

**Lily's POV**

I got Nick's letter in my first class. I quickly read through it and excused myself from class. I immediately headed toward Madame Maxime, Beauxbatons' headmistress, to tell her about my transfer.

* * *

I arrived by Floo not a few minutes later at Hogwarts in Headmaster Dippet's office. He and Dumbledore were already waiting for me when I arrived.

"Ah, Miss Teresina, welcome to Hogwarts." Dippet said.

"Good morning Headmaster. Professor." I acknowledged both.

They both nodded and the Dumbledore began to speak. It was clear to me that Dumbledore was the real headmaster of Hogwarts. Dippet was just his puppet.

"Miss Teresina, we understand that you want to transfer to Hogwarts to escape Grindelwald?" he asked.

"Yes sir." I replied.

"May I inquire as to why you feel threatened by him? Are you muggleborn?"

"No sir, I am pureblood. However, I am the Child of Earth. Grindelwald has wanted me to join him since I was born and I have refused every time. He's killed my parents in retaliation. Now that Beauxbatons is being threatened, Hogwarts is the only home I have." I bit back tears. Nick and my parents' had been killed when I was 4 (Nick was 5). I had never gotten over their deaths, and, despite Nick's insistence, I still believed it was my fault.

Dumbledore seemed to sense my sadness, for he nodded understandingly, "I'm sorry about that. Someone as young as you should not have to go through that. From now on, you are now a student at Hogwarts."

I nodded my thanks.

"It seems however, that Beauxbatons has different placement tests. It seems that you have not taken your O.W.L.S. If you will please follow me, I'll give you the tests myself. You'll be in sixth year?"

I nodded silently and was about to follow him when Dippet stopped us.

"Oh but Dumbledore! She still needs to be sorted!"

"Ah, yes, I forgot. Well, just sit on this stool."

I sat on the stool and Dumbledore placed a ratty old hat on my head.

A voice filled my head and I nearly jumped.

_'Hello,'_ it said, _'a little late to be sorted, no?'_

_'I'm a transfer from Beauxbatons.'_ I replied.

_'I see, well, you seem to have all the qualities this school's founders sought. You are extremely loyal to those who get to know you, you are brave, yes, you are not a coward despite your insistence, and my, you have intelligence that certainly passes our Slytherin prefect. Even Dumbledore himself! And of course, due to your intelligence, you are also a wonderful strategist. My, my, where to put you?'_

_'You don't know?'_

_'Course not my dear. You fit in all the houses; YOU decide where you would like to go.'_

_'Alright then, which house needs me the most?'_

_'Ever the caring one eh? Well, I suppose that would be Slytherin.'_

_'Alright, put me in Slytherin.'_

_'If you're sure, just remember, though you are Slytherin in mind; never forget to be a Gryffindor in heart.'_

_'Always.'_

_'Then I wish you the best of luck in,_ SLYTHERIN!'

Dumbledore pulled the Sorting Hat off my head, looking utterly perplexed. I smiled and said, "Ask him why. I don't mind."

He smiled then led me out to take the placement exams.

* * *

By the time I had taken all of my exams, it was about dinner time. I wasn't even exhausted after that immense workout. Dumbledore was extremely pleased, saying that I was even better than him when he was in his sixth. I felt elated at his compliment.

He led me to the Great Hall. When we reached the doors leading into it, he stopped me.

"When we go in, walk to the staff table, Headmaster Dippet will introduce you to the school and then you will join your housemates at the Slytherin table." He told me.

I nodded, and gathering all of my courage, I pushed open the double doors and walked in.

I immediately wanted to run out.

As soon as I walked in, all eyes fell on me. It took all of my Gryffindor courage to keep walking. I looked straight ahead, knowing that if I looked at anyone, I would most likely run out and look like a complete and utter fool.

When I reached the staff table, Dippet smiled and stood up beside me.

"Everyone, please welcome our new transfer student, Lily Teresina. She has been sorted into Slytherin and will be in her sixth year. I hope you will treat her with the utmost respect and make her feel welcomed."

As I made my way over to the Slytherin table, I saw Nick stand up near the middle of the table. I grinned and started running towards him. I flung myself on him and enveloped him in a hug. He spun me around and we laughed joyfully. I hadn't realized how much I had missed him. During the summer, I had stayed at Beauxbatons to keep him safe. Merlin, I missed him.

When he put me down he said, "You came."

"'Course I came, you're my big brother."

Nick smiled and I sat down next to him.

* * *

**Tom's POV**

When the doors of the Great Hall had opened, I had looked up to see a girl entering with Dumbledore behind her.

And what a girl.

She was utterly breathtaking. Her long, waist-length, glossy tresses were a beautiful chocolate brown that seemed to glint gold in the candlelight. Her eyes were wide and innocent, a beautiful hazel that anyone could get lost in. They were flecked with gold and seemed to be filled with intelligence. Her flawless skin seemed soft, and was a slight pale. Her eyelashes were long and thick, though it was clear that she didn't wear mascara. No makeup could ever make _any_ girl look like that. Her lips also looked soft and were a beautiful rose pink. I could see a light sheen of gloss on them, but that was the only makeup she wore. I liked that. I always hated girls who caked on makeup like they were circus clowns. Anyways, she didn't need any makeup, she was already amazingly perfect.

I then noted her outfit. She wore a loose blue sweater which surprised me. Most girls wore skin tight outfits to show off their curves, but she seemed not to care. She wore white skinny jeans in brown leather boots. While it wasn't scandalous to wear pants anymore, most girls stuck to skirts to show off as much skin as possible.

When she walked up to the staff table Dippet stood up, "Everyone, please welcome our new transfer student, Lily Teresina. She has been sorted into Slytherin and will be in her sixth year. I hope you will treat her with the utmost respect and make her feel welcomed."

So her name was Lily. Somehow it seemed to suit her. I didn't know why but I felt elated to know she was a Slytherin sixth year just like me. I saw her begin to walk over to the table and my heart beat faster. Suddenly the boy sitting across from me stood up. What was his name? Nick! That was it. What was his last name? I didn't really care at the moment. All I really wanted to know was why he was standing up.

I watched as Lily noticed and smiled. I heard other boys sighing. I glared at them but I couldn't really blame them. It truly was a beautiful smile. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside and I could almost say that I was infatuated with her but I quickly pushed the thought aside. I couldn't be in love with her, love was for the weak.

However, at that moment Lily ran towards Nick and flung her arms around him. She laughed as he spun her around. She laughed like an angel. I couldn't dwell on it though, for I felt a wave of anger wash over me as I watched the two. Were they together?

When he put her down, they whispered for just a moment and then sat down. The Nick guy said, "This is my sister, Lily. Lily this is Abraxas Malfoy, Cygnus Black, and Orion Black."

Abraxas Malfoy and Cygnus Black muttered their greetings but Orion Black grinned and said, "Hey shortcake."

She furrowed her eyebrows and said, "Shortcake?"

Orion grinned and said, "Yeah, you're short and you seem nice and sweet, like a cake. Shortcake."

She rolled her eyes but I saw the amusement dancing in her eyes, "Wonderful, five minutes in and I've already got a nickname for my height."

Abraxas scrutinized her and said, "You know if you wear heels, you might be average."

Nick laughed and Lily shot him a glare. At our confused looks, Nick said, "She wore heels once when she was twelve, took one step and broke her ankle."

We all laughed. Even Lily. She said, "I think I prefer my height over those torture devices."

It was then that she noticed me. "I'm sorry, what's your name?" she asked.

I sent her my most charming smile that always made girls swoon. She seemed unfazed. Damn. "Tom Riddle." I answered.

She smiled, "Nice to meet you Mr. Riddle."

"Please, call me Tom."


	2. The First Day

Disclaimer for all chapters: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

* * *

**Tom's POV**

Everyone but Lily stared at me.

They all knew that I _never _let anyone call me 'Tom'. Girls who threw themselves at me called me that, but I always detested it. As for the boys, they always called me 'Riddle'.

Lily smiled and said, "Alright Tom."

* * *

**Lily's POV**

After dinner, I followed Nick and his friends to the Slytherin common room. Upon entering, I was met with a world of green. _Everything _it seemed, was green. It seemed just like Beauxbatons, where everything was a girly, pale blue, except here, it was green. I wondered if all common rooms were this way.

Nick said, "The girl's dormitories are on the right. Breakfast starts — "

"At 7:15 and classes start at 8:15. I know Nick, I made you tell me the summer after your first year." I interrupted, rolling my eyes.

Nick looked shocked, "How do you still remember that?"

"Because Beauxbatons always made us get up so much earlier and I was always envious."

Nick smiled, "Well, seems as though you won't be needing too much help then. I'll walk you down to breakfast at 7:30 and show you to your classes. You should have the same ones as I do, if not more. Good night, Lily."

"Night Nick, Orion, Cygnus, Abraxas, and Tom."

* * *

The next day, I sat with the boys at the Great Hall again, discussing classes.

"Are the classes hard? What will we be doing today?" I asked.

"Nothing stressful, it's the week before Christmas Break, so they'll most likely be handing us our break assignments." Abraxas answered.

* * *

After breakfast, we arrived in Defense Against the Dark Arts. I sat next to Nick as Professor Merrythought entered.

"Good morning class, we'll be learning the Patronus Charm today. Who can tell me what the incantation is?"

Nick elbowed me, "Gonna answer?"

I shook my head, "It'll draw attention to me."

Tom raised his hand and said, "_Expecto Patronum_, professor."

"Good, ten points to Slytherin. Now, the Patronus cannot just be conjured by an incantation, what else does it need?"

Again, Tom's hand was raised and he answered, "A happy memory."

"Good, now I want you all to go and practice."

There were many scufflings of chairs as everyone stood up to practice. Nick, the boys, and I went into a corner to practice.

I closed my eyes and thought of the happy memory I always used. It was of Nick and my family at Christmas time, sitting in the living room reading. I was curled by my mom's side and she was absentmindedly stroking my hair as we read. Dad sat next to her and Nick was leaning against our mom's legs. None of us talked; we didn't need to.

"_Expecto Patronum_." I opened my eyes and was surprised to see that nothing had come out. I looked over at Nick and saw that he was struggling too.

I focused on the memory again, but it felt strangely empty. Perhaps it was the fact that I knew Mom and Dad were dead. I searched for another, and found one. It was what always brought me strength.

I closed my eyes again and whispered,

_"No matter the hardships we face_

_Or blunders we make in our haste,_

_Burrow deep, persevere,_

_Know that we are here._

_You are not alone,_

_Though you're far from home._

_Know that we'll be next to you,_

_Beside you, and know that it holds true,_

_That no matter the hardships we face,_

_Or blunders we make in our haste,_

_Love conquers all. Expecto Patronum."_

I opened my eyes to see a silver dove fly out. Professor Merrythought came over to congratulate me when she noticed something. She frowned, "Where's your wand?"

I had never needed a wand, wandless magic came easily to me. However, I probably should have gotten one when I came here, to draw away suspicion.

I shifted uncomfortably, "I don't need a wand. That would be an advantage to my enemy."

Nick chuckled, "She's never needed a wand. She hates the dependence."

Professor Merrythought looked thoughtful but shrugged and walked away. Nick came up to me and whispered, "You didn't get a wand?"

I shook my head, "No I forgot. I'm sorry."

Nick smiled, "It's alright, let's just hope that nothing else suspicious happens."

* * *

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Abraxas had been right when he said that we would just be getting our break assignments. We were in Potions now, the last class of the day.

Slughorn came in, bouncing jovially, "Good morning class! We'll be brewing the Draught of Living Death today."

I looked at Nick and smiled. The Draught of Living Death was one of the potions I had taught him. Though the Advanced Potions book made it difficult to brew, I had found tricks to make it quite easy. Nick and I used to hold competitions to see who could brew it the fastest.

"Alright, start brewing!"

I didn't even bother to go into the storage room for the ingredients, I had them all in my Potions briefcase. I opened it up and started summoning ingredients. I cut quickly and precisely, not once opening my book. I had the potion memorized by heart. I looked over at Nick and saw that we were on the same step. I'd have to work faster if I wanted to beat him.

When I finished I rushed towards Slughorn's desk. Nick was right behind me. He grabbed me around the waist as if to slow me down.

_'You wanna play dirty? Fine, I'll play dirty_' I thought. I then floated my flask over and set it right in the middle of Slughorn's desk. I turned around and smiled sweetly, "I win."

Nick shot me a glare but smiled all the same.

When the class ended, Slughorn called me over.

"I saw that you were a very accomplished potioneer. I have a club that is just for students like you. Would you like to join?"

"Are you perhaps talking about the Slug Club?" I asked, Nick had told me about it. He had been recruited by Slughorn too and had said it was the worst thing he had ever done.

"Yes! I guess you heard from Nick?" I nodded and he added, "Are you interested?"

"Um, sure." _I might as well keep Nick company,_ I thought.

When I walked out of the classroom, an unfamiliar boy came up to me.

"Hey." he said.

"Hi." I said warily, "Who are you?"

"Cormac McLaggen." He stepped closer to me and I stepped back. I didn't like him, Nick had mentioned that he didn't trust McLaggen, and if he didn't trust him, I wouldn't either.

Just then, Nick came running towards me followed by Tom. I breathed a sigh of relief. "There you are!" Nick said, "Where were you?"

"Slughorn wanted me to join the Slug Club."

"And did you?"

"Yeah."

It was then that Nick noticed McLaggen. He narrowed his eyes, "What are you doing here?"

McLaggen smirked, "Just saying hi to your sister." He winked at me, "See you sweetheart."

I shuddered, not liking the way he looked at me.

* * *

**Tom's POV**

That night, I tossed and turned. Eventually, I gave up and lay there, thinking about Lily. I had watched her the whole day and noted many things about her. She could do wandless magic, something that even the greatest wizards couldn't do (Merlin, even Dumbledore still used a wand). Though she was very intelligent, she seemed not to want to advertise it, as if she didn't want to draw attention to herself. She seemed uncomfortable when Professor Merrythought noted she was without a wand. She seemed to rely heavily on her brother, Nick. I had seen the way she hadn't trusted McLaggen because Nick didn't. Yes, she was definitely hiding something.

And I was determined to find out what.

**Lily's POV**

That night I lay in bed thinking about my first day at Hogwarts. For the first time I had friends. I wondered whether I could live a normal life now. Dumbledore was here which meant that Grindelwald could never get to me anymore.

Could he?


	3. The Duel

**Lily's POV**

The next day there were students crowded around the announcement bulletin in the Slytherin common room. I made my way through and saw that on the board was a sign up sheet of a Dueling competition that very night. I quickly scanned the list. I saw that Nick and Tom had signed up, among others, but was surprised to see no girls on the list. Feeling daring, I took out a quill and signed.

I noticed a boy looking at me and when I met his gaze he sneered, "Good luck at the Dueling competition, _princess_, what are you going to do? Suffocate us with makeup spells?"

I was furious, but I quickly calmed myself down. It wouldn't do to get in a fight when it was only my second day. I said nothing as I turned and walked down to the Great Hall.

Nick looked up when I sat down and immediately said, "What's wrong?"

I rolled my eyes, "Even after the entire summer away from me, you can still read me like a book?"

He smirked, "I'm your big brother; I know everything about you. So tell me, what's wrong?"

I sighed, "Nothing, just some jerk who didn't think I was qualified to be in the Dueling competition."

"I hope in his case, he didn't sign up. You'll kill him if he goes against you."

"Damn right I will."

* * *

**Tom's POV**

"Did you hear?" Orion Black asked me when I sat down in my seat in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"If you could be a bit more explicit, I might be able to answer your question." I said coolly, surveying the room for Lily.

_Wait, no, I'm not looking for her!_

_I'm just...surveying the premises._

_Yeah, sure you are — oh look! There she is!_

_She looks pretty today._

_You were saying?_

_Shut up!_

"Tom?" Orion asked, shaking me out of my stupor.

"What?" I asked, glad of the distraction.

"I was saying that there are rumors that Lily signed up for the Dueling competition. She's the first girl ever to have signed up."

"Well, I wouldn't put it past her, she certainly seems a rebel."

"There are already bets going around about how long she'll last."

"And how long are they saying?"

"...five minutes."

"Good to know they have faith in her. Put me in the bet."

"What's your bet?"

"Fifty galleons she'll win."

* * *

**Lily's POV**

The day past by uneventfully, unless you counted the stares, sneers, and taunts thrown at me by anyone and everyone. There were some girls who said that I just wanted to use this as leverage to get Tom to tutor me, boys said that they bet I wouldn't last five minutes in the competition.

I couldn't wait to show them by kicking their sorry asses.

By the end of the last class, however, the attention had shifted from me to the betting pool. Apparently, Tom had bet fifty galleons that I would win. While I was touched, I wasn't sure I _would_ win.

Don't get me wrong, I was pretty sure I could beat those idiotic gits, but I wasn't so sure I would be able to beat Tom. He was powerful, nearly as powerful as me.

I'd try though, wouldn't want him to lose fifty galleons.

* * *

By the time of the Dueling competition, I was a nervous wreck.

"Calm yourself, Lily, you always get yourself into a twist over a duel. You'll be absolutely fine." Nick said soothingly as he watched me fidget.

"I know but...what if I lose?"

"Oh my god, not this again," Nick said as he put his head on his hands, "Do we have to go over this all the time? You're the Child of Earth, you can do absolutely anything!"

"Not so loud, people could hear you!" I scolded, but smiled all the same, Nick always made me feel better. What would I ever do without him?

Just then the doors of the Great Hall opened and Professor Dumbledore and Headmaster Dippet walked in. Dumbledore walked up on to the stage and said, "Alright, the rules are simple, no dangerous hexes or curses, no interference from the crowd, and no heckling. Let the Dueling begin!"

Dumbledore then got out a sheet of parchment and called out the first people who were to duel, "Teresina and Yaxley!"

When I got on to the stage, I saw that my opponent, Yaxley, was the same boy who had sneered at me this morning. I felt another wave of anger wash through me, but I remained calm. If I wanted to win, I would have to think strategically and logically.

As we got into our dueling stance, I noted many things about him. He gripped his wand too tightly, which would impede how fast he would be able to cast spells, he kept his left side too exposed, and I could tell right now that he could not conjure a shield properly.

Dumbledore signaled for us to begin.

Two spells later, he was down and his wand was in my hand.

Looking out into the crowd, I saw that everyone looked at me in shock. I calmly made my way towards Nick. He leaned towards me, "That was amazing."

"I try."

* * *

A few duels and more broken egos (for my opponents at least) later, it was the last round of the Dueling competition. Nick was out as he had lost to Tom on his third duel. Now it was just Tom v.s. me.

Just as I thought it was going to be.

I walked calmly up on the stage, though on the inside, I was a nervous bundle. I was scared of losing; people were only now starting to believe that I was actually good at dueling.

I really, _really_ wanted to win.

As Tom and I faced each other, he called out, "Just because I bet on you, doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

I smiled, "I was hoping you'd say that."

And with that the duel began. The audience was awed by the array of colored jets of light flying at each other at rapid speed. Both of us never seemed to tire.

I could tell Tom was getting frustrated. He had probably never had such a formidable opponent before. I then saw a jet of fire shoot from his wand and twist itself into a serpent. It hung in midair, poised to pounce.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as it started its descent downwards, aiming to strike me down. I could hear the alarmed shouts from below at the sight of me just standing there, doing nothing.

I exhaled, _focus_.

Finally, at the last second, I brought my hand up and a giant water phoenix shot up from nowhere. I heard the gasps from the crowd but I focused on the duel. The phoenix struck, biting the serpent in the neck and they both disappeared in a whirl of water and fire.

I saw that Tom was stunned and, taking advantage of his hesitation, I began to fire curses as rapidly as before. He managed to dodge the first two, but had to conjure a shield for the others, making him stumble and fall.

I smiled, this was exactly what I had been hoping for. I lobbed a ball of pure magic towards him and he could do nothing but conjure a shield, something I had counted on. The ball didn't disappear, instead, it spread across the shield, forming a net.

I concentrated. The net began to shrink, making the shield close in on itself. Tom's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Finally, the shield broke and collapsed. Using Tom's momentary distraction, I waved my hand and ivy vines wrapped themselves around him, completely binding him. He struggled, trying to use his wand so he could cut the vines. I quickly disarmed him and the duel was over.

I looked out into the crowd and saw only stunned faces. Even Nick was stunned. He hadn't seen me duel in a while, and the last time we had dueled together, I hadn't been able to do what I had just done.

After a moment of awkward silence, Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, "Well, let's hear some applause for our winner, Lily Teresina."

There was some quiet applause, some were still stunned that Tom had lost.

Speaking of Tom...

I looked over and saw that he was still trying to get out of the binds. I quickly unbound him and handed him his wand.

As he walked over to shake my hand I whispered, "You're not mad at me?"

He smiled, "No, you just gave me fifty galleons."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled all the same, "You're welcome."

"Where did you learn to duel like that?"

"Lots and lots of books and practice."

"You have to teach me."

"Christmas Break?"

"Christmas Break."


	4. The Slug Club

**Lily's POV**

The next day I made my way down to breakfast with Nick. As we ate, the owls swooped in, dropping off the daily mail. This time, two school owls landed in front of Nick and me.

"Wonder who this is from." I said as I untied the scroll of parchment tied to my owl's leg.

"I think I have a clue. Almost all Slug Club invitations are tied in violet ribbon." Nick answered, gesturing to the violet ribbons on both of our letters. We groaned when we opened the letters to see that Nick was correct. There was a Slug Club meeting tomorrow, the last day before Christmas Break.

"Great. Just great. Does he even think that people just might be doing their Christmas Break homework at that time?" I asked, not looking forward to the meeting at all.

Nick chuckled, "I'm pretty sure you are the only one who would actually think of doing something like that."

"Doing something like what?" Abraxas said as Tom and the rest of the boys sat down next to us.

Nick answered, "We have a Slug Club meeting tomorrow and Lily was complaining that that was when she would be doing her Christmas Break homework."

Orion stared, "You've got to be kidding me. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a Ravenclaw, shortcake."

"Hey," I defended, "If I finish all my homework the day before Christmas Break, I can spend the entire Break in the library."

"Why would you go to the library when you've already finished homework?" Cygnus jumped into the conversation.

"I have a goal to read all the books in the library by the time I graduate."

"You are just like Tom, both of you have no idea what 'fun' is." Abraxas said as he rolled his eyes.

"We know fun, _you_ are all just poorly misinformed on what the true idea of fun is."

* * *

**Tom's POV**

When I walked into the common room that night I saw Lily sitting on the couch by the fire. She was writing something down in a book, dressed in a grey hoodie and denim shorts. On any other girl it would have looked terrible, but on her, it looked utterly adorable. The sleeves went past her hands, adding to the cute factor.

_Focus Tom_, I thought as I looked around. Nick was nowhere to be seen.

I sat next to her, "Where's Nick?"

She looked up, "He decided to turn in early, something about needing to get last minute Christmas gifts tomorrow."

"And what about you?"

She sat up proudly, "I'll have you know that I get my Christmas gifts months before hand."

I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. I had been hoping I would get a Christmas gift from her, she seemed so different from everyone else. I guess I was wrong.

She seemed to sense my disappointment because she smiled up at me, "Of course, I got your Christmas gift yesterday."

I couldn't help but feel elated. She really had gotten me something!

_Shit_, I thought, _now I need to get something for her._

_Maybe a book?_

_Is that really what you get someone you fancy?_

_I don't fancy her!_

_Uh huh, sure you don't. You are swimming in denial._

"So what were you writing in?" I asked, deliberately ignoring the internal argument I was having.

She looked down at the little black leather book filled with her beautiful small, elaborate handwriting.

"Oh, I'm writing a book."

"About..."

"How to properly brew potions because the book we have now in Slughorn's class utterly sucks."

"Nice way to put it."

"You know it's true."

"Perhaps. Have you written books before?"

"Yeah, one, I use a pen name though, so no one knows it's me."

"What's your pen name?"

"Now that would take away from the mystery wouldn't it? How do I know you won't tell anyone?"

"Like Abraxas, Orion, or Cygnus would obsess over the fact that you were a bestselling potions book writer. Now Quidditch on the other hand..."

"You make a valid point there. Alright, I'll tell you, my pen name is Ella Duvaisa."

I looked at her in astonishment, "Ella Duvaisa? _You're_ Ella Duvaisa?"

Ella Duvaisa was a new bestselling author of An Advanced Guide to Brew Potions. I had read part of her book at Flourish and Blotts before the charms on the book stopped me from reading more, but from what I knew, she really knew her stuff. She had discovered ingredients that eliminated several pesky side effects in common potions and had even invented Veritaserum that could break Memory Charms or Imperius curses. The Ministry was currently testing it to make sure whether there were any side effects but I knew there weren't going to be any. I couldn't believe I was sitting next to Ella Duvaisa.

When she nodded I nearly flipped, "You're utterly amazing! The way you discovered that mint could eliminate practically all the side effects of potions and the new Veritaserum you invented is just unbelievable! How did you get so good at potions?"

She blushed modestly, "It was mostly just trial and error and it took me a long time to figure out just what effect each ingredient had on potions. Right now I'm revising my book. I've discovered some more helpful ingredients and just invented a potion that breaks Memory Charms."

I gaped, "Really? Wow. I've never actually finished your first, but from what I could tell, you're a master potioneer."

"Thanks. Would you like to be the first to read my revised book after I'm done? Nick isn't a bookworm like us and I fear he would not appreciate having to read my textbook again."

"I'd love to." I couldn't believe _I_ would be reading Ella Duvaisa — or rather _Lily Teresina's_ book — before anyone else.

She smiled at me in thanks and then yawned, "I think I'll turn in for the night. Good night Tom."

"Good night Lily."

* * *

**Lily's POV**

The next morning I woke up early, smiling as I remembered the night before. I was so happy to know that someone out there actually appreciated who I was. Nick had been happy I had been successful but hadn't really been as amazed as Tom had been. I was also happy to have someone want to proofread my book. When I had written my first, Nick had read five pages and told me it was wonderful, leaving me to read it myself.

I ended up rewriting the whole thing.

I groaned as I remembered that tonight was the Slug Club meeting. I got up and went to my closet. I was so glad that since I had transferred, I had a dorm all to myself. I was pretty sure if I had any dorm mates, they would kill me for waking up so early.

I sifted through my tomboy-like clothes, only now realizing that I had no dresses or skirts, besides my Hogwarts uniform. I then dug through until I found the chest where I had taken some of my mom's dresses that she had gifted to me so that I could wear them on special occasions. Sifting through them, I felt tears spring to my eyes and I quickly wiped them away. It had been so long since I had gone through them, and I couldn't help but think of the last time I had gone through them. It had been when she had gifted them to me when I was four. She lay each dress out for me to examine and I had stated that each and every one of them was much to girly and would never fit me.

My mother had laughed, saying that they were for when I grew up and needed them for a special occasion. I had then stubbornly crossed my arms and said that there would be no occasion special enough to make me dress up as if I were a doll.

Now, as I looked through them, I couldn't help but think that they really were beautiful. After a few moments of considering, I chose a light brown dress. It was ruched from the waist up and after that the tulle made the dress fan out slightly. A rose design was stitched on the left side of my waist. I then dug around my closet for a pair of shoes, finally finding a pair of satin flats which I charmed to be the same light brown.

The day past by quickly. Slughorn asked if I would be attending the meeting that night and with forced enthusiasm I confirmed my going. Several other boys in the Slug Club had asked me to go with them but I had refused, saying that I was going with Nick. One thing that worried me though was that Nick had told me that Cormac McLaggen was a Slug Club member also and I knew it would only be a matter of time before he asked me to go with him. It had been evident when he talked to me on my first day of school.

I was walking to the Slytherin common room with Tom, Nick, and the boys when it happened.

McLaggen called my name, "Hey Lily."

I cringed but turned around, "What?"

"Want to go to the Slug Club meeting together?"

"Sorry, I'm going with Nick."

I started to walk away but he grabbed me by the arm and pressed me against the wall, "Come on, Lily, wouldn't you rather go with me than with your brother?"

Nick started to walk towards us, "Hey, let go of my sister!"

I held up my hand to stop him, telling him that I would handle it. I then looked up and smiled at McLaggen, "Sorry McLaggen, but I don't particularly like going with arrogant" I kneed him in the groin, "bastards." I pushed him back away from me and he fell to the ground, groaning.

I spun on my heel and continued down to the Slytherin common room, not waiting for the boys to catch up. I headed up to my room and started on my Christmas Break assignments.

When it was close to the meeting time, I started to get ready, only taking me a few minutes to put on my dress and charm my hair into pretty ringlets. I then clipped a section back with a rose I made of parchment to match the embroidered rose pattern of my dress.

I walked down to the common room, noting that none of the Slug Club members were out yet, not even the boys. I sat down on the couch by the fire, wrapped myself in a throw, and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

**Tom's POV**

It took only a twenty minutes for all the Slug Club boys to finish getting ready. We walked out of our dorm expecting none of the girls to be out yet. We were not expecting to see Lily on the couch, seemingly ready, fast asleep.

Nick smiled, "I'll wake her up. If any of you do, she'll curse you faster than you can say 'help'."

Needless to say, we all gulped.

We followed Nick as he walked up to Lily. He gently shook her and she shifted slightly.

"It can be used as a potion strengthener." she mumbled.

"What's she talking about?" Abraxas asked.

Nick rolled his eyes, "She's reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood."

They all chuckled, which caused her to stir slightly again.

Nick then leaned toward her and said softly, "Lily, you got a T on an essay."

She was immediately wide awake, sitting up fast and cried, "_What?!_"

The boys all laughed again at seeing her so distressed and she visibly relaxed at knowing that it wasn't true.

Orion was doubled over laughing. "Who knew...that that was...all it took...to wake you up?" he said as he gasped for air.

She glared at him before looking up at Nick, "Is it time to go?"

When he nodded she threw off the throw and got to her feet so that I could finally see what she was wearing.

_Holy sweet mother of Merlin._

She looked beautiful. The light brown of the dress made the gold flecks in her eyes more noticeable. I had never seen her in a dress before and I guessed neither had Nick, for he looked just as stunned as I felt.

The dress made her seem more delicate and fragile, though after seeing what she did to McLaggen, it was clear to me that she was far from delicate and fragile.

* * *

**Lily's POV**

The night turned out just as boring as I had expected it to be. Slughorn had talked all about his connections within the Ministry and all the kinds of special treatment he gets from his past star pupils.

"But enough about me," Slughorn said, _a little more than enough_, I thought, "Lily, how's Hogwarts? What's your favorite class so far?"

"Oh, well, I really like Hogwarts, especially the library." this comment earned several chuckles from Nick and the boys. I glared but continued, "I guess my favorite class would be potions. I think I'm pretty good at it."

Slughorn chuckled, "Always so modest, you are." Then, speaking to everyone at the table, he said, "Lily here is a wonderful potioneer, I daresay you brew the best potions I've ever seen!"

An unfamiliar boy spoke up, "Your parents must be so proud."

Instantly, I felt tears well up and I bowed my head so no one would see, but they could still sense my distress.

Slughorn looked at me pityingly, "It's alright Lily, he doesn't know."

"Doesn't know what?" the same boy asked. I wish he would stop talking.

Slughorn explained, "Lily and Nick's parents were killed by Grindelwald when Lily was four years old."

The entire table looked at Nick and me in pity and I hoped that they would drop the subject, but the same boy asked, "So they have no one?"

I snapped. I quickly stood and said, my voice trembling, "I have to go." And ran out of the room.

* * *

**Tom's POV**

I watched as Lily, normally so strong, run out of the room in tears. Nick ran after her and after waiting a few minutes, I made up an excuse and ran after them. I found them both on the Astronomy Tower talking. I hid in the shadows, looking through the window on the door leading to where they were.

"He's right, we really do have no one." Lily said, her voice trembling.

"We have each other, and that's the important thing. We could both be all alone." Nick replied.

"But I want them back."

"I know, but there's nothing we can do."

"Why? Why'd they have to die? Why did Grindelwald have to take everything away from us? Why did it have to be us? I wish I'd never been chosen. I wish we could have been just some ordinary happy family. They wouldn't have died if it weren't for me! I wish I'd never been chosen to be the Child of Earth!"

I could tell this conversation wasn't for my ears and even though I had so many questions, I backed away, but as I did, my wand dropped out of my pocket and clattered noisily on the floor. In a second, the door was flung open and Lily looked up at me in surprise and stuttered, "T-Tom?"


	5. The Truth

**Nick's POV**

Lily and I stared at Tom in shock before I finally worked up enough courage to swallow and ask, "How much did you hear?"

Tom had the decency to look ashamed, "Nearly everything."

I looked at Lily and said, "We could just Obliviate him."

Tom looked appalled when he saw Lily look thoughtful, but then she shook her head, "Sooner or later, people are going to find out anyway. We may as well tell him."

I stared at her in shock. She hadn't even gone to this school for a month and she was already trusting someone with her secret? If word got out, then she would be dead meat.

"How do we know that he won't tell him?" I demanded.

She sighed, "We'll just have to trust him won't we? After all, he would have eventually found me anyway. Hogwarts is powerful, but it isn't that powerful to be able to stand up to him for very long. We're just putting off the inevitable."

Tom looked thoroughly lost at this conversation until I finally sighed and relented, "Alright Lily, you tell him then."

Lily then turned to him and asked, "Do you know what a Child of Earth is?"

Tom shook his head so Lily went on to explain.

"A Child of Earth is the most powerful witch or wizard in the world. They have healing powers and can control the elements. Every century a newborn is chosen to be gifted with these powers and given the duty to help those in need. The reason they're called the Child of Earth is because their magic comes from the Earth; they're able to tap into the Earth's magical supply. As they grow older, they gain more and more magic until they turn seventeen. Then they experience the Summoning, where all their magic is rushed into them all at once.

"As you've heard from Nick and my conversation, I'm one of them. We wear these," and here she held up a long pendant necklace, "so that they can hold our excess magic, otherwise it would just overwhelm us when we experience the Summoning. The stone is called the dovestone, something a Child of Earth is able to create out of pure magic and is used to hold our magic, along with other useful properties. The wire around the dovestone helps contain the magic.

"You can probably guess now who 'he' is. Grindelwald. Since I was born, he's been trying to convince my parents to give me up so that I could be taken under his wing and trained into a formidable ally. Naturally, my parents refused and, well, he got angry…He was able to take down our wards with the Elder wand and he killed our family, along with the others who had lived in hiding with us since they had defied Grindelwald too."

Here Lily paused, and I knew how much it hurt to relive everything again. The war had been hard on the both of us, but it had been especially hard on Lily. Even at the age of four, she had blamed herself for everyone's death. Hell, she still blamed herself, especially our mother's death. I swallowed hard as I remembered...

_Vaguely, I registered that I was screaming, _what_ I was screaming, I wasn't sure, all I knew was that I was being placed under the Cruciatus and it _hurt_. I looked around and saw bodies everywhere. Bodies that I had known, grown up with, and bodies that I understood to be my enemies. _

_I saw Lily stun the soldier who had been torturing me, and hauling me to my feet, fed me a bit of magic to strengthen me. I smiled gratefully and we ran off again. We cried out in anguish when we saw our father disappearing under a crowd of werewolves. We ran forward to help when I saw a jet of green light flying straight towards us. I jumped on Lily to save us both from imminent death._

_We turned around to see a soldier still pointing his wand at us. He sneered, "Silly children, you should know better than to fight in grown-up wars."_

_I saw Lily's eyes flash with anger and if the situation wasn't so dire, I would have laughed. Lily _hated_ to be degraded and treated like a little kid. Instead, I watched in silent horror as she threw a curse at him._

_He easily dodged it and smirked, "Oh, it seems we have a fiery one here. You're a pretty little thing you know, perhaps if you're a good girl I'll make you my playtoy when this is over."_

_Now furious, Lily and the soldier dueled and she soon had him on his back, though still with his wand, at her mercy._

_She could have killed him then and there and I think she knew she had to, but she hesitated._

_And in that moment of hesitation, the soldier shot the Killing Curse…_

_…and hit our mother, who had been dueling not too far away, in the back._

_We both gave a cry of anguish and but still Lily refused to kill him. She Stunned him instead and together, we ran towards our dead mother..._

Lily was never the same since, but then again, who wouldn't be? We had survived that day out of sheer luck, both of us having been Stunned and mistaken for dead. Frankly, we were both lucky we didn't go insane from the horrors we had seen that day or for that matter, the nightmares we had every night afterwards. Dreamless Sleep Potions never worked on us anymore and eventually we learned to shut away those memories. The guilt, the loneliness, the horrors, the screams, the smell of blood, the way it was still slippery and warm in your hands, and the foreboding jet of green light. All of it was locked away and we could pretend that it was alright, that we were okay…

Except that we never were, and we never would be.

* * *

**Tom's POV**

I stood there in stunned silence as both stared off emptily, reliving the old horrors of their past.

All my life, I had thought that no one would ever understand me, that no one would ever understand how hard my life had been. I had always thought that there would be no one who could ever know how hard it was to live a life of loneliness and despair, and I always felt jealous that everyone's life seemed a cakewalk compared to mine.

But now, my life seemed like a fairy tale compared to their's.

I looked over at Lily and was reminded of how I had wanted to know what she was hiding. Now, though, I wish I hadn't. Ignorance was bliss sometimes. This girl deserved none of the things Fate had dished up for her. Her life was filled with hiding and fear — fear of what she was when she should have been proud — and surrounded by pain and guilt. No doubt survivor's guilt always ate away at her conscience.

I then looked over at Nick and was reminded of the fact that I had once dismissed him as just another uppity pureblood. Both of them were so much more, and Tom finally realized the absolute absurdity of judging someone based on their blood, for both of them were nothing like the usual spoiled, prejudiced purebloods at Hogwarts.

Finally, I opened my mouth and spoke, "That's why you moved to Hogwarts — to escape Grindelwald."

Lily slowly turned her head towards me and nodded mutely and for the first time, I felt pity.

I felt pity for both Lily and Nick, who obviously were constantly living in fear of being discovered. I felt pity for them because everyday, they had to plaster smiles on their faces and pretend that everything was fine and well when both of them were hurting and empty. I felt pity for them because they lost everything except each other at the age of four.

True, I had lost everything when I was born, but they had loved and lost, and I knew that was worse than just losing everything before getting attached to them.

It was then that I realized I had used the word love, and though I used to always think of it as a weakness, I couldn't help but think that love was what kept them sane and fighting.

Perhaps love wasn't so weak after all.

* * *

**Lily's POV**

There was a long moment of silence before Tom finally spoke up and when he asked if Grindelwald had been the reason for my leaving Beauxbatons, I merely nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

Everything was out, there was no taking it back.

The memories I had long since shut out were trying to make their way back to the forefront of my mind. Already I could hear the screams, feel the pain and fear gripping all of us, and faintly smell blood that had covered the once beautiful meadow and turned it into a battleground.

For now, Nick and I had no home, only a cemetery that held once happy memories now tainted with the cruelties of war. Blood was spilled there, tears were shed, screams ripped from the lips of the tortured and innocence torn unwillingly from the fearful children.

Seeing that no one was going to say anything else, I stood up and looked at Tom, "Please, just don't treat us any different, alright?"

He nodded, "I won't tell anybody either."

He walked back to the door of the Astronomy Tower but stopped with his hand on the doorknob.

"Thank you for sharing your secrets with me, it means a lot that you place your trust in me."

And with that, he walked out.

When Nick was sure he was out of earshot he turned to me and said, "You didn't tell him about the dangers of the Summoning.

I shrugged, "I didn't want to worry him."

"No one's ever survived the Summoning."

"Perhaps I will."

"And if you don't?"

"Then I will die. But by God, I will not go down without a fight, and when the inevitable does come, I will make sure to drag Grindelwald's stupid pureblood supremacy regime down to hell with me."


	6. The Christmas Break Summoning

**Tom's POV**

I woke up the next day, and immediately realized that it was Christmas Break. I always enjoyed breaks because no one was at school and I could wander the halls at my leisure. This year however, Nick and Lily would also be staying at Hogwarts during break. Feeling slightly elated, I threw off the covers and walked into the common room. Nick was already there, though Lily wasn't. I felt slightly confused, as Lily was usually up before everyone else. I reasoned that it must have been because of the confession last night. However, one look at Nick's tense face told me differently.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I sat next to him. He was about to answer when Lily walked down from the girls' dormitories. The same tense worry was etched in her face.

She smiled softly at us, "Merry Christmas."

I repeated the gesture but Nick only smiled stiffly. This was getting more and more confusing.

Finally, Nick spoke up, "Do you want to open your presents now or later?"

Though he asked Lily, she looked at me, "It doesn't really matter to me. What would you like to do?"

I smiled, "Let's open them later, we should eat first."

She smiled tightly and she and Nick followed me to the Great Hall.

* * *

When we arrived at the Great Hall, Dumbledore had the same tense expression as Nick and Lily. Finally, unable to contain my curiosity, I turned towards Nick and Lily, who were trailing behind me, and asked, "What's wrong?"

This time, Lily opened her mouth to answer but then froze. "It's starting," she whispered.

I was confused but Nick's tense face was suddenly filled with fear. I also noticed Dumbledore beginning to walk towards us.

"The Summoning." Nick choked out.

Even more perplexed, I looked at Lily and saw a ring of gold surround her. Tendrils soon began to spiral up and envelope her. Her face was also etched in fear. Suddenly, as the tendrils began to fully cocoon her, I felt a wave of magic. It was extremely powerful, more powerful than even Dumbledore's. I could feel it rushing towards Lily.

It all happened too quickly. The tendrils of gold were now almost fully wrapped around her and then there was a bright flash of light and it was all gone. Lily stood there, face deathly pale and eyes closed. She swayed on the spot and Nick and I caught her before she fell to the ground.

"We need to take her to the Hospital Wing." Nick said worriedly. Nodding, I cradled her gently in my arms and hurriedly ran to the Hospital Wing.

When we arrived I laid her on a bed. Dumbledore came in shortly after us. We all sat down in chairs around the bed and watched Lily.

Finally, the silence was too much to bear. "What's the summoning?"

Without taking his eyes off his sister, Nick explained, "The Summoning is what all Childs of Earth go through when they turn 17. For them, as they grow up, their magic grows stronger. When they turn 17 they receive all their magic at once. Naturally this is a dangerous process and it's where the urban legend of spontaneous combustion happens." I winced at that, "None of the Childs of Earth have ever survived it though many have survived this stage of the process."

"And what's this stage of the process?"

"There are only two stages to the Summoning. This stage is when all the magic is rushed into them. You felt it when we were in the Great Hall, it's pretty easy to withstand. The second stage is the most dangerous one. No one has ever survived that one. Now that the magic is inside their body, it needs to see if they're strong enough to hold the magic. It attacks the body and weakens it to see just how much the body can withstand before it breaks. The magic wants someone who is strong enough to handle it."

There was a tense silence after that. I knew now that there was only a slim chance that Lily would survive this but somehow I still hoped that she would get through this.

_She's strong, I'm sure she's survived much worse than this,_ I consoled myself.

Finally, Dumbledore spoke up, "I think we should all go and eat. There is nothing we can do but wait. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will notify us when she awakens."

The thought that Dumbledore believed she would make it consoled me even more. Before I would have scoffed at everything he said, but I could see that Lily trusted him and so I made myself trust him also.

As Nick, Dumbledore, and I walked towards the exit of the Hospital, I looked back towards Lily who was seemingly peacefully unconscious and felt a wave of worry.

_Because you care for her,_ a snide voice in the back of my mind told me.

_I do not,_ I snarled back, _she is simply the only friend I have ever had._

_Yeah, sure._

* * *

For the rest of the day, Nick and I sat in tensed silence in the library. Though we both had books, we stared unseeingly at the pages in front of us as we both waited to hear news about Lily.

I knew this must be hard for Nick. Lily was the last of his family and if she were to die, then he would be all alone.

_And what about you?_

_What about me?_ I retorted, _I can always make a new friend._

_But would it be the same?_

That was the big question. What would happen if Lily did die? What then? Despite only being at Hogwarts for a week, things had changed so much. Lily had been the first to ever treat me normally. She showed no fear towards me and challenged me more than anyone ever had. She was my first intellectual equal. People like her were one of a kind and I couldn't imagine if she just…disappeared. Just like that — into an eternal sleep.

_And it would just kill you to know that your lady love was killed, wouldn't it?_

_She is _not_ my lady love!_

Just then, Dumbledore walked in, thankfully interrupting my previous thoughts. Nick immediately stood up, "What is it? How is she? Has she woken up? Is she…" he gulped, "dead?"

Dumbledore gave a reassuring smile and we both relaxed, awaiting the good news, "She is still weak, but awake. She's asking for the both of you."

I don't think I've ever run that fast in my entire life.

* * *

**Nick's POV**

Tom and I burst into the Hospital Wing, gasping for breath as the library was all the way across the castle. Lily was sitting up in bed, still pale, but very much alive.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything? How do you feel? Do you feel tired? Should I get Madam Pomfrey to do a checkup?" I asked anxiously.

She laughed weakly, "I'm fine Nick, perfectly fine. I think I feel strong enough to walk down to the Slytherin common room. Madam Pomfrey already gave me a checkup and she said that when I feel up to it, I could leave."

I still felt uneasy, "Perhaps you should take a rest before you try to do any exercise. We don't want you to over exert yourself."

"It's nearly dinnertime! If I take a rest I'll never be able to give you two your Christmas presents on Christmas Day!"

I smiled slightly. Lily was always concerned with the well-being of others, but I was still unsure, "I don't know…"

Tom spoke up, "Why don't we take Lily down to the common room? If she feels tired we can take her up to her dormitory. I'm sure it will be much more comfortable than staying in the Hospital Wing by herself. Also, if she needs anything, we won't be too far away."

I relented, "Alright. I suppose if you feel up to it, we can go down to the common room and open presents."

Lily clapped her hands excitedly, "Yay! Let's go!"

* * *

Dumbledore's POV

After the eventful Christmas Day, I watched the trio carefully for the rest of the Christmas Break. I mostly focused on Tom, who whom I had been observing for a couple of years now. I could tell that the arrival of Lily had greatly impacted him. I watched as even doing homework next to her, he had a soft smile. It seemed as though he was still fighting his feelings however, as I noticed the warring emotions when he looked at her.

I watched as the once antisocial, guarded, and dark Tom became lighthearted and open during the two weeks of Christmas Break. I watched as he laughed alongside Lily and Nick and participated in their snow ball fights and celebration of New Year's. It was hard to tell whether it was all an act for Tom; he had always been good at hiding his emotions and his skills in Occlumency were becoming stronger and stronger. I supposed I would just need to watch him closely. He seemed very close to Lily, more so than with any other person and I wondered if it was all a ploy for power.

I sighed as I thought of what was to come of Lily. I knew that soon, Grindelwald would be able to invade Hogwarts and it would be then that Lily would have to confront him. I only hoped to be able to hold him off long enough for her to control her magic before he inevitably invaded.

I wondered about what the outcome of that duel might be. It was evident that Lily was much stronger than any other Child of Earth in history. That much was clear when she survived the Summoning. However, Grindelwald had the Elder Wand which nearly equaled the power of Lily's magic. I felt pity for her, because she had to face so much at so young of an age. She shouldn't have to go through this, and yet there was no way out. Grindelwald had made it so when he had killed her family and friends.

My thoughts wandered back to Tom and how he would feel were he to discover what she would soon have to face. I hoped that he would come to terms with his feelings before Lily's battles began.


	7. The Attack

**Lily's POV**

School after Christmas Break was rather easy and unextraordinary. The first few days were slow and monotonous as everyone was not used to being off Christmas Break.

I spent much of my time at the library as always with Nick and Tom. Abraxas and the rest of the boys were preoccupied with Quidditch. Every once in awhile there would be a Slug Club meeting, though no one brought any mention of parents, thankfully.

I was beginning to get adjusted to my new life. I could almost see myself going to work at the Ministry in the future as an Auror and finding my own place in London. I could imagine the war over and being able to travel the world with no fear of being captured and killed.

If only I had realized how naïve I had been.

* * *

**Tom's POV**

After the Summoning, things began to settle down and return to normal. After Christmas Break, Nick, Lily, and I hung out at the library having quiet debates over assignments. Before I would have preferred solitude, but now I couldn't imagine doing my homework without Nick and Lily. Both of their knowledge, though Lily's was considerably grander than Nick's, equalled mine, though every once in awhile, Lily would surpass me. Before, it would have irritated me to be second to anyone, especially a _girl_, but Lily was always modest and made sure to pass the knowledge onto me.

A few weeks after Christmas Break, I showed them both the Room of Requirement. After that, we spent much of our time there because of the wide array of books. This would be our place to have intellectual debates where we could be as loud as we wanted and get the references we needed.

Lily kept her promise of teaching me to duel also. In the Room of Requirement she and Nick taught me spells that they had invented. After learning a wide array of spells, though there were still spells I had not learned, both decided it would be beneficial if I had some hands-on experience. Now, instead of learning spells, we dueled. For my benefit, Lily spoke her spells aloud so that I could learn them.

For the first time, I had friends. Friends who didn't talk to me because of the power and influence that I had but because they genuinely liked me. Deep down though, I knew that this wasn't the real me and I was afraid to think what would happen when they found out what I was really like. Granted, I hadn't held a Death Eater meeting since Lily came here but that didn't leave out all the things that I had already done.

For one, I had killed Myrtle in my fifth year just because she was a mudblood. I had even killed my parents and grandparents when they wouldn't accept me for who I was. I had made two Horcruxes already. The regime I planned to rule was exactly like Grindelwald's.

What would they think when they found out the real me?

* * *

**Nick's POV**

After Christmas Break, Lily and my friendship with Tom strengthened. I noticed however, that Tom would sometimes quiet, as if in deep thought, but I paid it no heed. The reason we got along so well was because we were all deep-thinkers. All three of us were at the top our year, me as third, Tom as second, and Lily as first. Though I had originally thought that Tom would have been irritated at not being first, he seemed not to mind. I noticed too, the warring emotions he seemed to have when he looked at Lily.

I had seen those emotions before. They had belonged to Aden, one of Lily and my childhood friends. Together we were the 'Troublesome Trio' as the parents liked to call us. We used to spend our days running around from place to place, asking one of the adults to tell us stories about Hogwarts, reading under our favorite tree, and playing Quidditch while Lily coached (she was always good at strategies). Other times we would just sit under that tree and discuss what we would do when the war was over.

Before the battle and as each of us turned four (I five), I began to see those warring emotions in Aden's eyes when he looked at Lily. They had always had a strong connection, not like the deep understanding Lily and I shared as being siblings but something deeper. I knew that he was starting to like her and frankly, it had only been a matter of time. I could see why he hesitated though, as we were all friends, we didn't want to ruin our friendship which was more dear to us than ever in the time of war.

The war came before he had a chance to tell Lily. We were all fighting and people were screaming. Aden and I were running, trying to find where Lily had gone. She had broken down after our father had saved her from the werewolves but was consequently taken down. We saw her just as we were about to give up, but as we made to run towards her, a horrible slicing hex came our way and hit Aden. Knowing that Aden wouldn't be able to go on and that Lily would have preferred me to stay with him until the end, I held his hand as the life slowly left his eyes. His last words were, "Tell Lily I love her…and I'm sorry."

Ironically, he died right under our favorite tree.

After the battle, I told Lily what his last words were. As expected, she broke down, and his death was another factor for that painful year when she had shut herself out from the rest of the world.

Seeing those same emotions in Tom's eyes brought on all those painful memories. I knew that soon Lily and I would have to face another battle against Grindelwald and I hoped that we would get through this. Not just for our sake's, but for Tom's as well. I knew, being in Slytherin, that he wasn't the nicest of guys (though he liked to pretend), but I knew that to us he was truly genuine.

I knew how it felt to lose a loved one and I hoped that he would come to terms with his feelings before it was too late.

* * *

**Lily's POV**

We were in the library one night, just Nick and I. Tom had a prefect meeting to attend and so we were waiting for him to get back, as was our routine. It was then that Nick broke the silence and spoke to me.

"Do you like Tom?"

I looked up abruptly, momentarily stunned by the sudden break of silence. Then, finally acknowledging his question, I flushed, "Maybe..." I mumbled.

He grinned, "Really? Never thought my little sister would fall for the tall, dark, handsome types. You're more of a girl than I thought."

I flushed even more. "Why do you want to know?" I demanded.

"No reason, I just think…"

Nick was suddenly cut off by an alarm bell. Both of us were quite familiar with the sound and its meaning.

Grindelwald was here.

* * *

When Nick and I arrived at the entrance of Hogwarts, our suspicions were confirmed. Grindelwald and his followers were marching on the grounds towards Hogwarts.

We wasted no time in running down to meet them. Immediately, curses were flung and deflected, shields were raised, and the bodies of Grindelwald's soldiers were falling. We didn't kill them, only impeded their ability to fight back by either Stunning or restraining them with whatever means we had at our disposal.

Both Nick and I were fighting many of his soldiers at once. Finally, when the number depleted, Nick told me to go and take care of Grindelwald.

He was waiting for me. Without warning, he brought his wand down and made the first move. Soon we were in a full out duel, both of us evenly matched and fighting to gain the upper hand. Between my powers and his Elder Wand, it was the most powerful duel I had ever participated in. I was forced to use spells that I had read before in difficult Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks but had never practiced. The usual outcome was that they were much stronger than intended but allowed me to gain a momentary upper-hand in the duel.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see students gathering at the entrance, watching the duel but too afraid to participate. I could understand their fear. I also thought I saw Tom with Dumbledore, fighting their way through the crowd.

Grindelwald shot a curse at me which I dodged. Nick ducked too and it hit the tree next to him, splinters of wood exploding outwards from the force of the spell. Momentarily distracted, Nick let his guard down to cover his face from the flying pieces of wood. Suddenly a jet of green light issued from the end of one of the soldiers, heading straight for Nick.

"Nick! Look out!" I cried, running. It was too late however, and the spell crashed straight into his chest. He fell down like a marionette puppet with its strings cut.

I ran towards him, cradling his head in my arms, tears blurring my vision. Cold laughter jerked me out of my reverie, reminding me where I was and what I had to finish.

_Do this for Nick._

Driven by my thirst for vengeance, my power seemed to multiply and I was able to use spells I never would have dreamed possible for me to be powerful enough to perform. Soon the soldiers were all restrained, their wands snapped and burned at their feet and I was moving in on Grindelwald. My power only grew as I looked into the face of the man who had taken everything, _everything_, away from me. I had nothing left now and it was all because of the man standing before me. We dueled for the second time that day but this time it didn't take long for me to defeat him. With a few powerful spells, he was stumbling backwards and landing on the ground. With a simple _Expelliarmus_, the battle was over.

Everyone stared in awe, not daring to believe that the war was finally over with a simple _Expelliarmus_ that they had all learned in their second year. I noticed none of them, my thoughts only on the once lively, wild-spirited, and beautiful boy that lay behind me, dead. I looked at the Elder Wand disinterestingly. To me, it was only a stick of wood that had caused as many deaths as the pathetic man lying in front of me at my feet. Without hesitation, I snapped it in half over my knee, burning it to ash just as I had done to the soldiers' wands.

Everyone now stared open-mouthed at me, eyes constantly flicking to the pile of ash at my feet, as if not really believing my earlier actions. Only Dumbledore looked unsurprised, his eyes twinkling with that enigmatic light, though slightly dimmed as he looked to the body behind me.

I turned my eyes to Grindelwald, who closed his own and seemed to brace himself for death. He was completely taken off guard when I only bound and sent a Patronus to the Ministry to tell them that Grindelwald was at Hogwarts. I then turned to the Nick's cold, dead body, and bent down and cradled him in my arms. Even though he was much too heavy for me and I struggled under his weight, he always used to do this for me when I fell asleep reading at the library, and it seemed only fitting that I repay the favor.

As I walked away from our battleground, Grindelwald called out, "Not going to kill me? You're just as much the coward I thought you were."

_Coward_. That was the one word that always shook me. It always rang in my head when I thought of my family, my friends…and now Nick. _Coward_. I knew it was probably just survivor's guilt but I could not help but think that I should be dead, just like all those other brave souls who had sacrificed their lives to save the world, and to save me. Tears threatened to fall as I thought of how much I had lost, but I quickly shook them away. He was only trying to get a rise out of me and I would not give him the satisfaction.

"No," I said, not bothering to stop my slow walk towards the castle, "I won't kill you because that would make me just like you. And Merlin knows I'm already half way there."

With that I reentered Hogwarts, completely changed from the way I was when I first stepped foot into the castle.

_There would be no more happiness_, I thought as I laid Nick down on a Hospital Wing bed and left the room, laying one last kiss on his forehead, _that part had died when Nick did. No more getting attached to people either_, tears began to fall now, and there was no way to prevent them, _lives don't last forever and it will only bring sadness and grief_.

When I arrived in the Slytherin common room, I headed to Nick's room. I gathered all of his things and took them to my room. That night I locked, warded, and silenced my room as I cried myself to sleep, sleeping in his clothes and breathing in the scent of my beautiful, kind, selfless, and dead brother.

I should've known really. After all, fairy tales don't last forever.


	8. Letting Go

**Tom's POV**

Lily stayed shut up in her room the rest of the weekend.

She had only left her room once, and that was to attend Nick's funeral. Then, she shut herself back into her room.

No one dared knock on the door and ask Lily if she was alright or whether she wanted to talk about it. They all knew the answer.

No one had even expected her to show up for classes on Monday either, but she did. When she entered everyone stood up and applauded her.

I did the same, but inwardly cringed. I knew that this wasn't something Lily had wanted. She wanted everything to return to normal and quietly mourn the death of her brother. I also knew that she never wanted to hear the name 'Grindelwald' again.

She looked stunned as she stood rooted in place in front of the Great Hall doors. Finally, one of the professors dragged her all the way to the staff table to stand beside Dippet and Dumbledore. Slowly, she began to realize what was going on and her eyes shown with horror.

Dippet didn't seem to notice her distress and said, "For defeating Grindelwald and saving Hogwarts and the wizarding world, the Ministry and Hogwarts are proud to present to you, Lily Rose Teresina, with the Order of Merlin, First Class."

Dumbledore seemed to have noticed her distress and told Dippet, "I think, Armando, that this is not the time and place to do this. The poor girl is obviously in distress."

Dippet, always the blubbering idiot, waved him off and said cheerfully, "Ah, I'm sure Miss Teresina is just fine, aren't you my dear?"

He then attempted to hand her the award and she stared at it with lifeless eyes, making no move to take it. The entire Hall quieted, waiting to see her reaction. I knew that a lesser person would have taken the award joyfully and made a horribly sentimental speech that meant nothing.

But Lily was not that kind of person.

She opened her mouth and and everyone waited on bated breath to hear what she had to say.

"Get it away from me."

Her words rang out around the Hall. Many students looked confused, others astonished that she would give up an award that was as prestigious as this, while a select few nodded in understanding. Dippet looked utterly perplexed.

"Don't you want it my dear?"

"No!" And now I could hear that she was choking back sobs, "No! I don't want it! I never want to see it again! Just-just get it away from me!"

And with that, she ran out of the Hall. They could hear her sobs echoing off the walls.

I got up and left the Great Hall, determined to find her.

* * *

**Lily's POV**

I knew that Tom would come and find me, and sure enough, a few minutes after I had gone up to the Astronomy Tower he was there.

For a few minutes he kept quiet as tears fell silently down my cheeks. Then he sighed, "I'm not going to ask you if you're alright, because you obviously aren't." I nodded, thankful that he wasn't like one of those people who just asked out of politeness, "Do you want to talk about it?"

I nodded, desperately needing someone to talk to. I needed to convince myself that I wasn't alone.

I sighed, "When I walked in, I was really hoping that everything would just go back to normal. I wanted to forget everything and pretend that it had never happened, just to stop the hurt."

I paused, and Tom nodded, urging me to continue, "Everyone was clapping, and I couldn't help but wonder why they were looking so happy when they should be mourning all the deaths that had been lost during this war. I couldn't fathom why they looked so cheerful when _so_ many had died. Everyone acted as if nothing had happened, as if we were only welcoming a celebrity.

"And then Dippet had that award and I just couldn't stop myself from thinking, '_They're_ _presenting me with an award when I have done nothing. They're presenting me with an award that I don't deserve. They're presenting me with an award when they should be mourning the deaths of many_.'"

"But you did deserve it." Tom interrupted me.

I shook my head, "No, I didn't deserve it. The people who died fighting in this war did. Every last one of them deserves to have it, but not me. They sacrificed everything to bring down Grindelwald."

Tom looked perplexed, so I explained, "I never could have defeated him without everyone before me. The process of bringing Grindelwald down was like completing a potion. I was simply the wand wave that finished the potion, while everyone before me are the essentials. Without them, the potion would fail and fall apart. I would never have been able to complete that final last step without all the steps preceding mine."

"But that still doesn't mean you don't deserve it..."

"No, it still does, because all throughout the war, all I have been doing is running and hiding. People have died to protect me. My father was taken down by werewolves that should have attacked _me_. My mother was hit by the killing curse that should have been for me because of _my_ hesitation. Nick was distracted by the curse that _I_ should have just either taken or deflected far away from any of us, to avoid harm. I have not really fought in the war because I have always had people there who died for me; people who took my place in death when it was always meant for me."

We stayed quiet after that, both of us unsure of what to say next, so when the bell rang, signaling the end of breakfast, we both got up and went to Potions.

* * *

**Tom's POV**

We didn't talk for the rest of the day, and no one talked to us either. People were still talking about the scene in the Great Hall that morning. Many jealous girls whispered that Lily only wanted to be the center of attention and get everyone to take pity on her.

We were in our last class of the day, History of Magic, when a paper dove landed softly on my desk. I immediately knew it was from Lily and opened it. It read:

_Will you meet me at the Astronomy Tower tonight at 10?_

I turned to look at Lily who, feeling my gaze, looked up. I nodded and she smiled appreciatively. I tucked the note into my robes pocket, wondering what she wanted to tell me.

* * *

**Lily's POV**

At exactly ten, Tom showed up, looking immensely curious. He sat down next to me and gestured at the elegantly carved, small wooden box in my hands.

"What's that?"

My fingertips lightly danced over the lid of the box, and explained, "When the war started, Nick and I knew that it was going to last long, but we were confident we were going to make it through. Before our alcove was attacked, we wrote down all of our hopes and dreams and put it in this box. We enchanted each piece of parchment to fly out when the box was opened so when the war was over and we opened the box, it would symbolize that our hopes and dreams were taking off. You were always a wonderful friend to Nick and I thought you might want to be here for this..."

He nodded, and I knew he understood what this really meant to me.

This was my way of letting go.

* * *

**Tom's POV**

"Ready?" she whispered as we sat on the edge of the Astronomy Tower. I nodded and she opened the lid. Immediately, dozens and dozens of pieces of parchment were flying out, shimmering with gold and reminding me strongly of butterflies as they flapped their "wings".

We watched in silence as they all flew off into the night sky, glowing in the darkness. I knew then why Lily had chosen to come here at so late an hour. From this distance, the parchments now looked like a cluster of beautiful gold stars.

A soft sniffle drew my attention away from them and looked beside me to see silent tears rolling down her cheeks for the second time that day. Surprising myself, I wrapped my arm around her and she leaned in to me. A contented silence fell over us and I vaguely wondered if this was what love sometimes felt like.

_Why are you wasting your time thinking of something as superficial as _that_?_

But looking down at Lily, I couldn't help but think,

_Would loving her be so bad?_


	9. Too Good For You

**Tom's POV**

A month later I found Lily sitting under the bleachers of the Quidditch stands, looking up.

After that night on the Astronomy Tower, I made sure to lock away my feelings — whether or not I had feelings is irrelevant — and chose to focus on my studies and leading the Knights of Walpurgis.

It was now March and though it was still cold, the thick layer of snow covering the grounds was slowly melting. I had been taking a walk, wanting to clear my mind about thoughts of the very person sitting in front of me. I turned away, hoping that she wouldn't notice me but I had no such luck.

"Tom?"

I turned around to see her no longer looking up at the stands but now at me. I smiled and sat down next to her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

She gestured up at the stands, "I was walking and I decided I wanted to look at the architecture. It's quite beautiful, but then again, everything in Hogwarts always is."

I nodded mutely, unsure of what to say. We sat there in silence for awhile, Lily playing with stalks of grass that had surfaced when she melted the snow away from the place she sat, and me looking around uncomfortably, wondering what to do.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lily stood up, dusting and smoothing out her robes and said, "It's getting quite cold, so I'll be going in now."

I nodded, getting up as well. As I looked up, it occurred to me again how beautiful she was. Her hair had snow in it, as did her long, lush lashes and her cheeks were flushed from the cold.

And her lips...

Not thinking at all, I caught her arm, pulled her closer, and kissed her.

Vaguely I could sense her stiffen in shock but slowly relax as I buried my free hand in those beautiful curls I had always longed to play with.

As her hands came up to rest on my chest and gently fist the robes, the reality of what I was doing came to my mind. I pulled away with a gasp, eyes wide at my impulsiveness.

I ran, not once looking back, reminding myself that she was too good for me; I didn't deserve her.

She was untouchable.

* * *

**Lily's POV**

Something was up, that I knew as Tom sat down on the grass beside me. He had been unusually cold to me after what happened on the Astronomy Tower and the distance between us expanded. We hardly ever did our homework together anymore and he no longer came to the Room of Requirement. Eventually, so did I, doing my homework in my bedroom.

And then he kissed me.

And just as I thought that he was opening himself back up to me, he pushed me away. The look in his eyes clearly said, _this was a mistake_.

As he ran I felt my heart shatter with every step he took. Every step he took away from me.

I was left standing there, like a fool, completely shattered and broken.

_To love but never be loved._

_Always._

* * *

The day of the last Hogsmeade trip before Easter Break saw me standing in front of Professor Dumbledore's door. Taking a deep breath, I raised my fist and knocked.

"Enter." Dumbledore's muffled voice said from the other side of the door.

I entered, feeling nervous but also determined. I knew I would meet resistance with what I was about to propose.

"Professor," I began, "I want to go home during Easter Break. I want to dedicate a memorial to everyone who lived in the alcove."

He looked unsure, as expected. I plowed on, "I know that Grindelwald's soldiers are still out there, but I can set up the wards again to make sure they can't get in."

He looked at me with those piercing blue eyes, as if sensing an ulterior motive. Which I guess there was. Many students always went home during breaks and now that Grindelwald was defeated, even more would be coming home. I didn't want to stay at school with Tom after what happened at the Quidditch Pitch.

Finally, he sighed and said, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Easter Break is after all rather short. I hope you stay safe, and, never let your guard down."

I nodded and left his office.

* * *

At dinner that night, the boys and I were discussing what we would be doing during Easter Break. Sitting across from Tom was rather awkward but I tried my best to ignore him.

"So are you going to be staying at the castle during Easter Break, shortcake?" Orion asked.

"No, I'm going to be going back home."

They stared. Even Tom whipped his head up to stare expressionlessly at me.

"Blimey Lily," Cygnus said, breaking the silence, "that's dangerous! Grindelwald might be defeated but his soldiers aren't. I'm without a doubt that they'll be after your blood and to just go back to the place where they most expect you is suicidal!"

"I know, but I'll be placing the wards back up so they won't be able to get in. It'll only be a short while after all. Don't worry, I'll be back before you can say 'Quidditch.'"

* * *

The next morning I woke up early and boarded the train. As the train rolled away, I watched as Hogwarts slowly disappeared from view.

* * *

**Tom's POV**

I watched as the Hogwarts Express slowly rolled away. Just before it disappeared completely, leaving only puffs of smoke, I whispered, "Quidditch."

* * *

**Lily's POV**

When we arrived on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, I bade my farewell to Abraxas, Cygnus, and Orion before Apparating to the magical alcove that was my home.

I was only allowed a small sigh of contentment before I was grabbed from behind, a hand covering my mouth.


	10. Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

**Lily's POV**

In a moment I was bound. I tried to use magic to get out of my confinements but when I did, I felt as if my magic was being sucked away.

With dread I realized exactly what was binding me.

Harpy feathers.

There would be no possible way to escape now. If I were to use magic to retaliate, the harpy feathers would only drain me of my powers.

Grindelwald's soldiers dragged me to the living room of my house. I saw that they had cleared away all the furniture.

They had been waiting for me.

One stepped forward and it was obvious that he was the ringleader.

"Where's the Elder Wand?" he snarled.

I spat in his face.

_Wrong move._ Furious, he put me under the Cruciatus curse. I writhed, refusing to scream, but traitorous tears slid down my face.

The others laughed at my weakness while the leader grabbed my head and banged it several times against the floor; I could feel something warm and wet coat the back of my head.

I felt dazed and lightheaded as he leant forward and said, "Now, why don't you be a good girl and tell us where the Elder Wand is?"

"I broke it and burned it."

I was put under another round of the Cruciatus curse. "You're lying, you bitch. NOW WHERE IS THE ELDER WAND?" he yelled furiously.

"I'm telling...the truth." I gasped, breathing shallowly.

With a growl, the leader entered my mind and carelessly ripped through my mind and found the memory of me snapping and burning the Elder Wand.

"YOU BITCH! YOU FILTHY WHORE!" he yelled as he kicked me hard in the ribs. I could hear a terrible crunch as his foot made contact.

He stepped back, and I knew this as a sign of him giving his followers free reign on me. I was then faced with an onslaught of slicing hexes and Cruciatus curses.

When I couldn't hold it in much longer, I began screaming and the onslaught of curses increased. Darkness began to creep into my vision and when the pain became too much I gave into the enveloping darkness.

_Finally..._

* * *

**Dumbledore's POV**

Lily didn't come back with everyone else. I waited for a few more days before I finally made my way to the magical alcove that was her home.

Immediately I knew something was wrong.

There were no wards, nothing to stop anyone from coming in or out. With dread, I made my way over to the only house standing. The hall seemed perfectly intact, as did the kitchen, but when I reached the living room my heart seemed to stop.

The furniture was all cleared away, pushed against the side of the walls. Lily lay there in the center of the room, cut in many places and a small puddle of blood under her head.

I slowly made my way toward her and felt a wave of repulsion.

They had preserved her body.

They'd known someone was going to come for her.

I knelt down and felt for her pulse and breathed a sigh of relief. Her pulse was faint and it was obvious she was dying, but the preservation had made her last longer. I quickly picked her up and Apparated to Hogsmeade.

* * *

**Tom's POV**

The boys and I had heard that Dumbledore had gone to check on Lily. We waited for him in the Entrance Hall, hoping for some reprieve for our worries.

When he finally showed up, it did nothing to alleviate our nerves.

There, cradled in his arms, was Lily, covered in cuts and deathly pale. It looked as if she had been tortured.

And was dead too.

* * *

**Dumbledore's POV**

As soon as I arrived at Hogwarts, I made my way to the Hospital Wing, ignoring the crowd as everyone, teachers alike, came to see what had transpired.

When I arrived in the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey was already there.

"Oh Merlin! What happened?" she asked as I set Lily down on one of the beds.

"Grindelwald's soldiers. They must have been waiting for her when she came home."

She did a quick scan over Lily, healing the cuts as she went. Then she moved to the injury on her head and tsked.

"That's a major concussion right there. She'd have been alright with just the cuts and the Cruciatus curses but this head wound's got her in a coma. It's doubtless she'll ever wake up."

"Is there even a slight chance she'll survive?"

"Probably one in a billion. I'll see what I can do, but she's as good as dead."

* * *

**Tom's POV**

That night, I tossed and turned, the image of Lily lying dead in Dumbledore's arms flashing through my mind. Knowing that I would never be able to go to sleep without seeing her, I Disillusioned myself and made my way to the Hospital Wing.

I sat down in one of the chairs by her bedside, lifted the Disillusionment Charm, and stayed silent, observing her. It was then that I noticed the infinitesimal rise and fall of her chest. I was overwhelmed with joy, but then remembered her hair matted with blood.

She was in a coma.

Finally, I spoke.

"I'm sorry. For everything. For pushing you away, for probably leading you on…I'm sorry. You deserve someone so much better than me. You're too good for me; I don't deserve you.

"I was foolish too. I thought that love was for the weak. I thought it didn't exist. I thought that if there was such a thing, I would never experience it, because I was born to be unloved. I thought I could never be loved or be loved because I didn't know what it was.

"But I was wrong. I do know what love is. I've probably known it all this time. Love is you. Love is the way you practically bring me to my knees with your smile. The way your laugh fills me up with this warm, fuzzy feeling. Love is everything you do, everything you say. Love is the way you can make me smile, even when I'm mad. It's the way you can make the world shine so much brighter. It's that beautiful scent of lilies and fresh air that always accompanies you. It's that feeling of peace and contentment you give people when they're near you. Love is everything you are, every fiber of your being. Love is you, Lily Rose Teresina, the intelligent, witty, beautiful, caring, and selfless person before me.

"I know your world is riddled with guilt. That you blame yourself for everything, when really it was never you at all. I'm sorry for hurting you when you were already hurting. But wake up. Wake up so I can see those beautiful hazel eyes of yours that I can drown in for days. Wake up and give me a second chance so I can fix you, so I can love you like I've always wanted to do. Wake up so we can take on the world, change it for the better, and show it what love truly is, because I promise that I will love you with everything I have even when I die."

I gazed at her prone form and sighed. The sun was rising now and I would need to get to my dorm. I leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips and whispered, "For the mistake I made for pulling away the first time." I then got up and left the Hospital Wing, hoping with each step I took that she would come back to me.

_If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. If it doesn't, then it was never meant to be._

* * *

The week after my visit I disbanded the Knights of Walpurgis. There were no protests to that, as all the members shared my views. They were unable to uphold pureblood supremacy and become replicas of Grindelwald's soldiers when they had been the ones who harmed Lily.

Instead of focusing on becoming the next Dark Lord, I focused on becoming the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. I even discarded my old hatred for Dumbledore.

That week, I waited each and every day, hoping that Lily would wake up.

At the end of the week, I was beginning to lose hope.

* * *

I was in the library one day, studying for my Transfiguration N.E.W.T.S. when something fell out my textbook. It was a small square of parchment and on it was written in loopy handwriting the words:

_Hope is the thing with feathers_

_That perches in the soul,_

_And sings the tune without the words,_

_And never stops at all,_

_And sweetest in the gale is heard;_

_And sore must be the storm_

_That could abash the little bird_

_That kept so many warm._

_I've heard it in the chillest land_

_And on the strangest sea;_

_Yet, never, in extremity,_

_It asked a crumb of me._

Utterly perplexed, I tucked it away into my robe pocket. Throughout the day though, I felt strangely lighter.


	11. Always

**Lily's POV**

White.

That was all I could see when I opened my eyes. The light from the windows made the room I was in so bright it hurt. I sat up, feeling as though I had been sleeping for years. Stretching, it finally occurred to me that I was in the Hospital Wing. Just as this thought occurred to me, Madam Pomfrey entered the room.

She jumped, looking at me with wide-eyes as if she couldn't believe I was awake. Seeing as she wasn't going to speak anytime soon, I asked, "What am I doing here?"

As if snapped out of a trance, she bustled over to me, "You were attacked by Grindelwald's soldiers. You had a pretty major head wound from the encounter and were in a coma for a week. Frankly, I didn't even expect you to ever wake up. How do you feel?"

"Alright. Am I allowed to leave?" I was anxious to leave this blindingly bright hospital.

She eyed me for a moment, "Well, I suppose you can. After all, I have treated all your injuries. If you hurry, you might be able to make it for lunch. There's a stack of clothes on the chair beside you."

She fussed at me for a little longer, checking to make sure I had no lasting damage and that I was truly alright, before finally allowing me to leave. I changed into the clothes quickly before leaving to go to the Great Hall.

* * *

When I reached the double doors, I took a deep breath, knowing that I would be bombarded with questions. When I opened the doors, everyone turned to look at me.

At first, everyone was silent, not believing their eyes, finally, Abraxas, Cygnus, and Orion jumped up, running towards me with Tom trailing behind them.

In an instant I was drawn into a group hug and then the questions were coming rapid fire. Off to the side I noticed Tom standing awkwardly, as if not knowing what to do.

"Hold on a minute," I said, "there's something I have to do…"

I broke away from the group and made my way over to Tom. He looked at me and his eyes shone with uncertainty, guilt, and shame. Reaching towards him, I took both of his hands in mine.

"You let me go and I came back. I'm yours. Forever."

"Always?"

"Always."


	12. Author's Note

Dear readers,

I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to read and review my fanfic. I had a lot of fun writing the story and I hope everyone had a lot of fun reading them. I'd like to thank Elisa865 for being my first reviewer — technically the first was my sister but it doesn't count because I practically forced her to — and I'd like to thank both CountOnIllusions and MEOW-I-am-a-cat for giving suggestions for upcoming chapters of my story. I also want to thank all those who favorited and followed either my story or me.

Now that "Always" is finished, I have run out of ideas, so if any of you have any suggestions please comment in the review section.

Thanks again!

Eirini

P.S. I want to thank bookaholic6, my sister, for proofreading all my chapters beforehand. Also, she recently posted a Tom/Hermione fanfic called "Genius in Insanity", so go check it out!


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